


Ma petite est comme l'eau vive

by Melimelo



Series: Jonsa Twelve Days of Shipping Challenge [5]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Everybody Lives, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Jon wins them all, Jonsa Twelve Days of Shipping, Meeting the Parents, Mention of Arya/Gendry, POV Ned Stark, StarkPack, Watching your child grow up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 14:45:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13192314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melimelo/pseuds/Melimelo
Summary: (Title : My little one is like a lively water)Pourtant un matin nouveau à l'aube, mon eau viveViendra battre son trousseau, aux cailloux de la rivePleurez, pleurez, si je demeure esseuléLe ruisselet, au large, s'en est allé.Yet a new morning, at dawn, my lively waterWill beat her trousseau to the shore’s pebblesWeep, weep, if I remain lonelyThe rill went away to the high seas.(Song : L’eau vive of Guy Béart)





	Ma petite est comme l'eau vive

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy !  
> (Clear and concise :P)

Ned Stark was nervous – which was in itself ridiculous. He wasn’t the one getting ready to swim in a sea of sharks. All metaphorical, of course, though picturing Robb as a shark for this meeting was pretty accurate. He always was protective of his sister, Ned thought with amusement.

Today’s lunch was promising to be quite an moment. Sansa, his daughter, his little baby, was introducing a guy – some oaf who was no doubt corrupting Ned’s precious princess – to the family. Ned had nearly throw a fit when she broached the idea, one week ago. Like hell he was going to welcome any lover (oh God – better not to think about that) of his daughter under his roof ! And no it wasn’t a childish reaction ! It was his role to watch out for his…  
Only his wife’s insistent stare and his daughter’s puppy eyes had made him recede his statement.

But he would never yield against any opponent for the place of the hero in his daughter’s heart. He still remembered fondly the look of admiration in her eyes when he opened the jam pot or when he carried her to her bed because she felt asleep on the sofa. “Daddy, you’re the strongest” she had said, before falling asleep again. He had the title of “man of her life” since she was five and it had never been challenged. And Ned intended for it to remain that way.

Just as he promised himself this, the doorbell rang. His lovely Cat beat him to it, and the door opened to reveal Sansa, tucked in her favorite winter mantle, holding hands with a dark-haired man, wearing a black coat. So this was the famous Jon. And he looked nervous – good.

“Good morning Mr Stark, sir” Jon saluted, in a low voice, nodding once, after having greeted Catelyn and gifted her the bottle of wine. At least this one has manners, thought Ned, knowing his wife was already half charmed. It won’t be so easy to turn him, that he was sure of.

Ned shifted all the same, letting him get in. He was going to start the interrogatory when Sansa halted him. “Be nice, Dad, please. I love him, and he loves me too. And he’s already nervous.” She whispered, making all his good intentions fly out of the window. He barely managed to stop himself from awwing a little : his baby was in love, she was growing up, flying away, she was happy.

Of course, he still planned to question the lad. But maybe he would stand back during the worst, and let Robb ask the sneakiest questions, and be the one remaining unconvinced through the meal.

Already, his eldest was throwing puzzled glances at Jon. Rickon was easily won over, at seven, he was enthusiastic about everyone and everything. But Ned’s hopes lied with the older. Bran was very observant, not talking much, which could be quite unsettling for anyone. Arya was sharp and pitiless with anyone she took a dislike to, which was anyone she met who didn’t prove themselves to her. Robb was protector and hard to impress. Catelyn was a great judge of character, but would be lured by the obvious love between the two of them. 

Ned was confident.

That was a fallacy, apparently.

The meal was enough time for every member of the family to do a 180-degree turn. And Ned could do nothing but watch each of his children – and his wife – warming to Jon, welcoming him a bit into the family.

Apparently, luckily, Robb and Jon had already met – hence the puzzled look throughout the introduction. They had sympathized during some party at some mutual friends’ house. It’s a small world indeed. So there went Robb’s protectiveness and difficulty to impress.

The lad’s manners and attitude were perfect and polite – so there went Catelyn’s potential for objections.

Arya’s features lightened up when the lad mentioned practicing fencing since he was eight and teaching beginner’s class in his spare time. The two bonded over sports and competitive spirit. Arya’s teasing was understood and indulged in. Ned even caught a few retorts from Jon. So there went his daughter’s sharp tongue and famous will.

Bran was his last hope. He was a teenager, he was intimidating in his own way. So with a few wangles, Bran and Jon were the only ones sitting in the living room. Bran’s solemnity and silence had disturbed more than one suitor. Inevitably, they would try to engage conversation over some trivial thing – which was the point of no return. The plan was perfect, splendid.

However, Jon appeared to be quite glad of Bran’s silence. He did not try to make small talk at all costs. No, worse, Bran was the one starting the conversation over Jon’s time in the army. Now, the world truly was upside down.

Ned’s shoulders sagged against his own will, forced to recognize defeat when it stared you in the face. When he himself couldn’t really find any faults in Jon, except the fact that he was the man who would take his daughter away from him.

But then, it was always coming to that. Children come into the world, they grow up and one day they go live their life. Sansa was an adult now, she was twenty – still young but an adult. And she was in love, and it was obvious that he loved her in return. And the way her face beamed when she talked about him couldn’t be _that_ bad.  
Still, that didn’t mean he was going to be all smiles and rainbows and butterflies about it.

Ned pondered over that, sitting in his armchair when Sansa left her boyfriend, who was helping Robb wash the dishes in the kitchen, and came toward him. Her eyes shined with understanding and affection.

“Don’t worry Dad, you’re still the man of my life” she whispered to him, smiling softly.  
Well, then, maybe the situation wasn’t so bad. He still threw a triumphant look toward his daughter’s boyfriend. 

At least, his Arya was still going to stay with him for a few years.  
She was walking toward them, just as he thought these words.

“Mom, Dad. Since Sansa introduced her boyfriend, can we invite mine for lunch next Sunday. His name is Gendry, you’re gonna love him !”

Oh no…

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading ! I hope you liked the story.
> 
> And please, go listen to L’eau vive – it’s a beautiful, full of hope and yet nostalgic song written by a father who’s watching his daughter growing up. My grand-mother used to sing it to me when I was a child.  
> If you don’t speak French, and are still curious, feel free to ask, I’ll translate :)
> 
> Tomorrow’s story will either be Hogwarts AU or Bed Sharing Trope.


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